Broken Promises
by Miktap
Summary: After some particularly nasty truths coming to light, Morgana has left her home and her friends to try and deal with this new reality. Her departure has changed all of them - what will happen when they are reunited in the most unexpected of ways? Modern AU.
1. Chapter 1

**This story has been floating around in the back of my mind for the past few weeks, so I've decided to go ahead and post the first chapter. For anyone who reads this who is currently following my other full length fic, 'An Exchange of Souls', I promise I am still working away at it. This story is being posted now because, as I said, it's been sitting in my head for a while now and I really want to get the first bit of it up (I'll try to finish up with AEoS before I post any more of this one, but we'll see where the writing muse takes me).**

 **So, 'Broken Promises' is going to be written a bit differently than my other fic. The events that are described are _not_ all in order. The present day timelines are on slightly different tracks. They will catch up to each other at some point and even out from thereon in.**

 **Any section that is written entirely in _italics_ is a flashback. These also will not necessarily be in order, but I will try to make it obvious as to when it is that they take place. Otherwise, a single word or phrase written in italics is simply to emphasize said word/phrase, or is a character's thought.**

 **If at any point something does not make sense, with the events not all being in order, just leave me a review with your question or PM me and I'll leave an author's note to clarify.**

 **Now, I'll let you get on to the story. I hope you enjoy the first chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

 _There's nothing like being a carefree kid, running around barefoot in the grass under the warm summer sunshine. It's the best feeling in the world, one of complete and utter freedom._

 _Shrill giggles pierce the air as they run around, playing tag for now before it morphs into some wildly creative game of adventure, of travelling the world and meeting fearsome creatures, of being heroes. The black haired boy is trying desperately to catch one of his friends, but somehow they are too quick for him today. The sandy haired boy teases him about how slow he is, reigniting the other's spirit and he takes off chasing him around the field, both of them laughing all the while._

 _The two girls look at each other and grin. Looks like they don't have to worry about being tagged for a while, not while the boys are horsing around. They flop down on the soft grass, rolling onto their backs and chatting, pointing out shapes and patterns in the clouds. A dragon, an ice cream cone, a castle. How neat would it be to live in a castle? Lost in their conversation, the girls don't notice the sandy haired boy creeping up on them with a bucket of water._

 _Not until it's too late, at least, when the contents have been unceremoniously dumped on them, soaking them. With an infuriated screech, the girl with long dark hair and pale skin , Morgana, jumps to her feet. "Arthur! I'm going to kill you!"_

 _The second girl, the one with curly hair and caramel coloured skin, Gwen, adds, "And I'm going to help her!"_

 _"Uh, oh. RUN Merlin, RUN!" And the two boys take off, the girls in hot pursuit, all irritation seemingly forgotten as their laughter rings out loud._

 _Merlin is the slower of the two, so Gwen and Morgana tackle him to the ground first. Gwen holds him down while Morgana tickles him. The raven haired boy howls with laughter and wriggles around, trying desperately to break free. "Arthur!" he gasps out between laughs. "Arthur, they got me! Ha ha, help!"_

 _The blond boy whips around, hearing his friend in peril, and races back over, a huge grin plastered on his face. "No! Don't worry Merlin, I'll save you!" And he joins in the fray._

 _While he's trying to free his friend, Morgana gives him a wicked grin. "Coming back wasn't a good idea, you know." And she lets go of Merlin to jump on Arthur, knocking him over and pinning his arms behind his back. "Do you surrender? Do you?" She laughs out loud at his muffled response of 'Never'. "Fine, then. I'll just sit on you until you do!" She does just that, effectively preventing the boy from getting up. Gwen has released Merlin, as the antics between the two other children are far more amusing to watch._

 _"Oi! Gerroff! Gerroff Morgana! MERLIN! Little help here?"_

 _Merlin starts forward, but Morgana halts him with a look. "Don't you dare. Not until he surrenders. He's the one who started this all, by dumping WATER on us!"_

 _"Fine, fine! I surrender! Happy?"_

 _Morgana says nothing, simply stands and shoots him her sweetest smile. "Good. That's what you get for messing with us, right Gwen?" The girls high five and whoop. Merlin shrugs at his friend's irritated look, and grins. He may be the slower of the two, but he is the smarter. He knows when to stop pushing the girls' buttons... usually, anyways. Arthur, on the other hand. Well, Arthur has a face full of grass and dirt right now as punishment._

 _The four friends lay down on the ground, quiet after all of that. They need a quick breather before they return to playing. Merlin gives them one of his lopsided grins. "Let's promise to always stay friends, okay? To always be like this."_

 _Morgana is the first to reply to him. "Okay. I promise."_

* * *

She awakes with a start. Had she just spoken out loud in her sleep? _Okay. I promise_.

Sitting up, Morgana le Faye shakes her head. Her heart is pounding. The dream, no, _memory_ , comes flooding back vividly. It sends a pang through her heart to think about it. It's been appearing in her dreams repeatedly over the past few weeks, and every time after she awakes she feels guiltier and guiltier. Because she knows she broke her promise, hurt her friends.

Not that she ever meant to. She just couldn't deal with the revelations about her family, the lies that had been fed to her for years. She couldn't stay at home and pretend it didn't happen. Like she was living some fairy tale life, being the daughter of a rich and successful business man, going to a fancy school to help further along her family's name in the industry. That's no life for her. Just a fake shell of what she wants.

Briefly she thinks of Arthur and wonders if he has been brave enough to stand up to his father and follow his own dreams. Truly, she hopes that he has.

And Merlin and Gwen... What are they up to now? It would have been so easy to stay in contact, but she knows that they would have made her go back and face her brother, who would have made her face her biological father, which at the time she wasn't ready to do. Still isn't, actually. Sometimes she thinks the only way she could face Uther would be if she was pointing the barrel of a gun at his head.

It's a morbid thought.

She looks at her clock and groans. Two thirty in the morning! Morgana lets her face drop back onto her pillow, knowing fully that it will be impossible for her to return to sleep now. She's always had a bit of trouble sleeping, over the years many doctors have prescribed her different medications for insomnia. None of them worked.

Well, she has to be up in an hour anyway, for work. Might as well get up now, make some tea, relax as much as she can before the adrenaline of her assignment takes over.

Morgana rolls over and slowly gets up. It takes a moment for her bleary eyes to adjust to being awake, but when they do she can make out that it's raining outside. Great. This bloody weather has kept up all week. Rain itself isn't bad, but the temperature outside that has come with it is somewhat cool for this time of year. Getting up to go outside in the black of night is even less inviting when it's wet _and_ cold.

She slides her feet into a pair of slippers and finally manages to talk herself into standing. _Get it together, Morgana_. Scratch the tea for this morning, a strong cup of coffee is what she needs. Grumbling to herself, she makes her way through her flat to the kitchen.

* * *

An hour later an alarm is blaring. Hurriedly, Morgana stuffs the flash drive into her bag while swiftly turning to leave. She knows - and does - her job well. Of course, she's not the one to crack the pass code. That would take far too long. They have others for that, others who then pass the information on to her boss, who passes it on to her, who enters the dark offices and needs two minutes, maybe less, to get what it is they require. Two minutes, in and out. That's all she needs.

The black gloves on her hands keep her fingerprints from marking the smooth surface of the keyboard.

Readjusting her hood so that it casts shadows over her face, she pulls her scarf up over her nose and strides through the door. The picked lock leaves it swinging wide open in her wake.

The rain comes down in a light mist, creating an eerie fog in the dark London street. Keep walking, straight ahead. Walk, don't run, don't look suspicious. Four blocks away, there's a zigzagging alley off to the side - turn to the right, go down it. Lose their trail and make an escape.

 _Clack, clack, clack_. Her heels strike the pavement, causing a sharp noise to ring through the still night air. She can't help but feel exposed. Her own breathing sounds loud to her - it's exhilarating at the same time as being terrifying.

Suddenly, the sound of sirens. Her eyes widen, body stiffens. _They're fast tonight_. Still far off, but getting closer by the second. A quick glance over her shoulder reveals that she is still the sole occupant of the street.

Don't act suspicious. Screw it. Breaking into a run, she sprints the last block and a half to the alley, practically flinging herself around the corner. Dragging in a deep breath and releasing it in a rattling sigh, Morgana closes her eyes momentarily and leans her back against the solid brick wall behind her. _Ten seconds. You have ten seconds to get it together._

Green eyes snap back open and survey her surroundings. As it was on the main street, she is the lone soul out tonight. Too close to the light, though - the street lamps' glow is spilling around the corner and invading her dark refuge. She makes her way further along, down into the black recesses of the alley. This area, while being her hide out from the police, has a tendency to house more than a few unseemly characters. So far none of them are out yet, but... well, there's a reason she carries pepper spray in her bag. That, and for anyone else who may try to interfere because they don't like the nature of her work.

Time for the transformation, now that she's escaped the reaches of the street lights. She first pulls off the black leather coat, it is reversed so that the bright red inside is shown off instead. After all, what kind of thief would wear something as glaringly obvious as bright red? She shrugs it back on over top of her grey hoodie. The scarf is unwrapped from around her neck, placed into the bag and a knitted hat is pulled out in its stead. Pushing back her hood, she then pulls her long, dark hair out of the confines of its ponytail, shakes it out, and pulls the cap on over top of it. Last, she retrieves a pair of black rimmed glasses, slides them on.

There. Just another regular citizen, returning home after a late night party, or drinks, or whatever. No one but her any the wiser.

The sirens have all but faded into the background, she's out of their reach now. Stepping out onto the sidewalk of a new street, Morgana smiles to herself for a job well done. Time to return to her flat and call it a night.

* * *

"I'll take a gin martini with lemon twist, please."

The damp mist outside is clinging to the window panes, forming droplets which slowly trickle down the glass. Sometimes when he looks at them he sees himself, at other times a dear friend, slowly, ever so slowly, sliding downwards out of control. Screaming, "Help! Help!" But no one comes. Or, they try, clinging to each other and forming a group. But the combined weight of all their problems simply drags them down all together. Plunging down, down...

It's a shitty metaphor to use for your life.

But such is the way of the world, especially when student loans, career crises, and family feuds are a part of it. And when your friend runs off without telling anyone where they're going, hasn't bothered to contact any of you in over two years... It all compounds, and sometimes it feels like it's just bringing you down.

"Excuse me, did you hear me?"

"Sorry?" Merlin's gaze snaps back from the window to the irked customer seated in front of him. "Oh, sorry! I didn't catch that. What would you like to drink?"

"Obviously." The look on the man's face is anything but understanding. _One of those types, oh joy._ Merlin tries not to grimace at his tone, and waits patiently for the man to repeat his order.

"A gin martini with lemon twist."

Giving his customer a tight lipped smile, the young waiter nods slightly and turns on his heel, headed for the bar.

He rings in the drink order, then goes to wait in line for it. His friend and fellow uni student, Gwen, is waiting for drinks in front of him. She gives him a grin when he sets his tray down next to hers.

"How's your night going so far, Merlin?" she asks.

"Oh, you know, it goes."

Gwen gives him a sympathetic look. "That good, hmm?"

He chuckles and shakes his head. "I lost focus again while taking a drink order from one of my tables. He didn't appreciate being ignored and let me know on no uncertain terms." Sighing, he adds, "I don't blame him for it, but he didn't have to be so ignorant."

Gwen looks up at his face thoughtfully, squinting ever so slightly as she tries to read her friend. "What's wrong, Merlin?" she prods gently.

He begins to respond but is cut off as the curly haired bartender sets two beers down on Gwen's tray. She smiles at him in thanks, and he gives her a nod, then turns to the young man beside her. "For you Merlin? What can I get for you?"

"Erm, a gin martini with lemon twist. Thanks, Leon."

The older man, only by five or so years, turns to go mix up the cocktail. Merlin casts a glance at Gwen and her tray. "It's nothing, you're busy. I'll tell you later."

"Liar, and the drinks can wait. Well?" She gazes at him expectantly, one eyebrow raised.

He releases another sigh. He should know better than to try lying to Gwen - she knows him far too well by now. "I've just been, well, I guess I've been thinking about Morgana a lot recently. And how everything feels like it's a complete and utter mess sometimes. School, work." _Lost friendships_. "I just... I really miss her, and I think everything may be more bearable if she were still around. I wonder where she is right now."

The young woman puts understanding hand on his arm. "I know it's hard, you two were so close. But Merlin, it will all work out. Believe me. She'll come back."

"Really? How can you be so sure?"

Hesitating for a moment, her eyes flick down to the ground and then return to meet his. "Honestly? I don't. I don't know for sure. But I have faith, I have hope and I will always hold on to it. Don't be so hard on yourself, Merlin. Things w _ill_ work out."

She's wise beyond her years, Gwen is. Perceptive and caring, she always knows what to say to cheer him up. Not by telling him lies full of false promises, but by being honest. She doesn't know, but she has faith, hope. He could only endeavor to do the same, to stay so optimistic. He just has moments like these sometimes, when he falls off track and needs a little push from his friends to help him regain it.

He grins at her, truly grateful. "Thank you, Gwen. And I'm sorry for complaining. It hasn't been any easier on you, either." It's true, she and Morgana had practically been like sisters when they were younger. She'd taken it hard when the latter had run off.

Leon returns with the martini and places it on his tray. Gwen picks up her own and returns Merlin's smile. "It's fine, Merlin. And you're welcome. Now, go show that rude man what an amazing server you can be!" And she's off, back to work and to her waiting customers.

Merlin nods, more to reassure himself than anything, and does the same.

* * *

 _Dear God, what time is it?_

Arthur Pendragon looks at the clock hanging on the sterile white wall of his office. Ten thirty. He's been at work since 8 o'clock this morning. Not that it's a bad thing, it's great experience for him if he's to take over his father's business one day. It's just... not a good day for him, that's all.

He drags his eyes from the clock to the framed photo of a blonde woman sitting next to his computer monitor, and he smiles softly at it. The woman in the photo is his mother, who died in childbirth. How he wishes he could have gotten to know her, given her a hug even if only once.

Today is the anniversary of her death. And it's also his birthday.

It's always been a difficult day for him. For his father, Uther, as well, but his father buries his grief in his work. Always has, as long as Arthur can remember, and he expects his son to do the same. Which is probably why he assigned him such a long task of going over their most recent marketing ploy today. In his own way he's trying to help. But Arthur is not his father, and to be completely honest all that he feels now is even more exhausted and sad than he was this morning.

On the bright side, the office closes in half an hour. He will then be free to pack up and head home to his fiancée, Gwen. She should be off work around that time as well, even though it will be late they will still have time to share together tonight. She'll come home with a slice of chocolate cake from work pretending that it was a leftover and that she didn't bring it back specifically because of the date, even though he never wants to celebrate his birthday, and she'll say that he should eat it anyway because it will cheer him up. And he will, and it does. Then they'll stay up late, talking into the early hours of the morning. No different than they've been doing on this day for all these years now.

She's beautiful, inside and out. Gwen lost her mother, too. She was 6 when it happened. He's thought many a time that he should be strong about his mother's death like she is about hers. But Gwen always explains to him that yes, it hit her hard and _does_ still bother her, but she had her father and brother there for support. They never told her to 'grow up' or 'be a man' about it, in fact they grieved with her, and they all got through it. Just like she promises Arthur he will, too, because she'll be there for him.

Whenever Arthur holds her he knows everything is going to be alright. Sometimes... Sometimes it all feels like a dream. Then the reality of the world comes crashing down on him and he realizes just how messed up his life is in some ways. But it's always nice to have that reprieve.

He sighs. Best get those documents sent off tonight, then he has nothing to worry about for the rest of the weekend.

* * *

 **One more A/N- this _will_ eventually be a Mergana fic. Chapter 1 (and probably the next few) is more Arwen, but once our two favourite M's meet up the story will focus more on their relationship. If you have time, please let me know if you liked it (or if you didn't) in the reviews! Thanks :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Muse declared that it wanted to work on this story, so here's the second chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

Morgana's feeling rather damp and chilly by the time she reaches the door of the tower block. Once she's inside, she pulls off her gloves and tucks them in her bag, then pulls out her phone.

The screen lights up with a note indicating a new message has arrived _._ She frowns down at it. Who would be sending her a text message at this time of night? She swipes the screen to unlock it and opens the message. It's from Morgause. Well, at least that makes more sense, she's texting her to ask how her job went.

 _Waiting in your flat. I need to talk to you._

Morgana sighs, and resists the urge to roll her eyes. As much as she cares about her sister (well, half sister, technically) she wishes that the older woman would stop letting herself into her flat while she's not there. At least she sends her a message now to inform her that she's there - the first time Morgause had done this, Morgana had walked in to find another person standing in her living room and had nearly had a heart attack.

It's not that she doesn't trust her, but she does like to have some down time after a job. Most of her conversations with Morgause recently have been related to some serious issue at work, and right now she's not in the mood for it. Her heart has only finally calmed down after hearing those sirens. Oh well, such is life. It can't always turn out the way you want it to. Hers just seems particularly determined to prove that at the most annoying of times.

She tucks her phone away and trudges tiredly to the lift, pushing the 'up' button. Usually she takes the stairs, after all, her flat is only on the fifth floor. But tonight has been too long, and she doesn't feel like expending the extra effort. She chews her lower lip in thought as she wonders what exactly her sister wants to address with her, and almost doesn't notice when a chiming noise rings out and the doors open. She walks into the lift, still distracted by her wondering.

When the doors of the lift open again, having arrived at their destination, Morgana shuffles out of the box and over to her door. The key clicks in the lock, and she pushes the door open. Her sister, sitting on the couch, rises to greet her.

The blonde woman smiles as she approaches. "Morgana! How are you, dear? How did your assignment go tonight?"

The heavy door swings shut behind Morgana, and she sets her bag down on a nearby stool. "I have the information Cenred needs," she replies, rummaging through the bag and pulling out the flash drive. She places it in her sister's outstretched hand, and proceeds to unzip her jacket. "The police were fast tonight," she begins, slipping the jacket off of her shoulders and hanging it on the coat rack. Her sister can see the stress etched across the younger woman's face. "Morgause, I know we've been spacing these out well, but I think they're beginning to figure us out. It's been almost two years now. It's not impossible to think that they have started to piece together who's been behind all of those previous office break ins." She pauses, knowing her sister won't like what she's about to say. "I think it would be a good idea to hold off on any more of these jobs for a while. Make sure the coast is clear before we continue on with this."

Morgause's face slips into an unreadable mask, losing all feeling it had shown earlier upon greeting her sister. Morgana recognizes his face well, she's seen her sister use it on many an occasion in meetings when she's hiding what she really thinks. She rarely uses it with her. Morgana has never been one to feel intimidated by people in a position of power, but this look makes her feel unsettled. She doesn't want to disappoint her sister, nor does she want to incur her wrath. Already, she feels like she's managed to do both.

"Morgana, dear," Morgause begins, the tone of her voice sounding as though she is talking to a young child who is incapable of understanding the greater meaning of life, "I can assure you there's nothing to worry about. Cenred has been making sure that no one suspects us." She saunters back over to sit on the couch, beckoning with her finger for the brunette to do the same. Morgana quirks an eyebrow slightly at this, her sister directing her to sit in her own house. It's not her place to do so, but she obliges and lowers herself into the lounge chair across from her.

The blonde lazily waves her hand about as she speaks. "We are aware that it's best to space these things out. Cenred does have another job for you, but that won't be for another two weeks." Morgana opens her mouth to protest, two weeks! That's not spacing them out at all! Morgause raises a hand to silence her younger sister. "I know you don't think it's ideal, but this new company is a threat."

Leaning closer, Morgana asks, "Which company?"

"Nemeth." Morgause's eyes take on a deadly gleam, and the one side of her lips lift ever so slightly into a cold smile. "They are new, up and coming, and coming quickly. Essetir Incorporated won't be put out of business by them right now, but it will definitely take away from our client base. They seem popular, who knows what may happen in a few years." Shrugging, she continues. "We'd rather not find out, so that's why Cenred wants you to get the information that can help us take them down now."

Morgana hesitates. This whole charade initially started off as a way to rebel against Uther and his kind. Old, greedy men who couldn't give a damn about anything other than the bottom line and promoting their own name. And it had felt amazing at first. Now though, now she's beginning to question it. A few large companies here and there, fine. They weren't shut down, but they were knocked down a peg or two on the business ladder by information that was suddenly made known to their rivals.

But new companies?

"That hardly seems fair to be attacking them as they emerge."

And, frankly, Cenred has been struggling with his business for years now. If he isn't good enough to keep it afloat, he deserves to lose it. But, that means her sister loses it as well. Plus, this is her life now, and the money is good. She only needs to work for them for a few more months before she'll have enough saved up for her university tuition...

"It's never been about being fair, Morgana. You know that."

She should say no, but she's in too deep.

Nodding, she sighs. "Fine. Let me know the details when you have them."

Morgause smiles brightly at her. "I was hoping you'd say that. We'll organize a meeting within the week. Now, I'll let you get back to your morning." Morgana glances at the clock, she's right, it is morning. Five seventeen, to be precise. Her sister makes her way to the door, shrugging on her purple designer jacket. "I'll call you when we have it set up."

Morgana wearily nods in response, and just like that, Morgause is gone and her flat has returned to its usual silent state. Thank goodness.

There's a duvet thrown over the back of the chair. Pulling it down and over her body, she doesn't even bother to return to her bed as she settles down in hopes of catching one or two more hours of sleep before the day truly begins.

* * *

 _Arthur stares out the back window of the car excitedly. Morgana, who is passenging in the back seat next to him, has her arms folded across her chest and frowns at the floor of the car, deep in thought. Arthur may be looking forward to the next two months at camp, but she's not so sure. She's not scared of being away from home. It's just... different. She had wanted to spend more time with her father this summer. But of course, his long time friend and boss, Uther, had to convince him otherwise. That the kids should go to camp while they worked to expand the business. That it would be good for her and Arthur to have some time away, to meet new friends and learn 'new skills'._

 _She almost snorts. New skills? What, like starting a campfire? Big deal._

 _Her gaze shifts to the sandy haired boy beside her. He's not close to his father like she is to hers. Uther has always pushed him hard to stand on his own two feet. She even feels sorry for him, sometimes. Not that she'll ever tell him that._

 _The two of them had lost their mothers at an early age. Arthur's mother, Ygraine, died in childbirth, and Arthur had never had the chance to meet her. Morgana's mother, Vivienne, had passed of cancer when her daughter was only four years old. The loss had hit her father, Gorlois, hard. After that, it was rare for him to leave his daughter's side at any time other than when he had to work or when she had to go off to school. She had missed her mum terribly, too, but had been too young to entirely understand. She did understand that she loved her father's affection, and cared for him deeply. As a child, she had always been somewhat of a social outcast. Gorlois was always there for her, her father and friend._

 _Uther always thought that his friend 'coddled' his daughter, seemed proud of the fact that he practically pushed his own son away in his efforts to make him independent and strong. Whenever he voiced his opinions, though, Gorlois would just nod, then gaze at his daughter with a smile that he only reserved for her - that special smile that fathers have for their little girls. He had never taken Uther's words to heart. Well, not until now, apparently._

 _The sigh that unconsciously slips from her lips must have been loud, because Arthur finally peels his face away from the window to face her._

 _"Aw, c'mon, Morgana. It's gonna be fun! There's no need to be scared," he teases, interrupting her thoughts._

 _"I am NOT scared," she snaps. "Just annoyed that I have to spend every day of the summer with YOU and a bunch of kids that I don't know." The two have known each other since they were toddlers, Arthur being only a few months older than her._

 _"You're sca-ared," he continues taunting in a sing song voice. "You're so sca-ared!"_

 _She raises her fist, about to punch him in the arm for that, when her father's voice catches both their attention._

 _"That's enough, you two. What did I say earlier about picking on each other?"_

 _"Sorry, Uncle Gorlois," Arthur mutters, eyes downcast, as she simultaneously says, "Sorry, Daddy." She resumes her earlier position with her arms folded in front of her. Glaring at Arthur she adds a quick, "He started it," under her breath._

 _Gorlois evidently hears, because he tells them, "Don't make me separate you two." But she catches the humorous glint of his twinkling brown eyes in the rear-view mirror, and she can't help but grin at him._

 _Arthur is subdued for the rest of the journey, thank goodness, but that quickly changes when Gorlois pulls into the entrance of the camp. He pulls up in front of the main building, where they were told to meet in order to confirm registration and get to know their fellow campers. After all, they would be seeing each other every day for the rest of the summer._

 _"Yippee," she thinks sarcastically, and suppresses another sigh._

 _'We're here!" Arthur is practically out the door and pulling his luggage out of the car's trunk as soon as Gorlois has shifted it into park._

 _Morgana, on the other hand, gives her father pleading eyes, and he turns to her with a gentle smile on his face. "You're going to have so much fun, sweetie. Just give it a chance. Let's get your things, okay?" She nods, and tiredly steps out of the car._

 _The time flies by, suddenly they are registered, introduced, and he has to leave. Her irritating friend is off in a cluster of kids, chatting up a storm. She turns to her father, tears that will not be suppressed pooling into her eyes. "I don't want to stay here," she whispers._

 _Gorlois crouches in front of her, taking her hands and looking up into her eyes. "Morgana, I know this is new for you. But you'll have so much more fun here than you will sitting at home while I put in long hours at work this summer. If we weren't undergoing our expansion this year, I wouldn't be making you do this. You can call me as much as you want, sweetheart, whenever you need to talk. I'll be there."_

 _He releases one of her hands to wipe away the tears that, for some reason, are continuing to gather on her lashes, even though she has furiously been trying to blink them away. Her father glances over her shoulder, sees that the camp counselors are beginning to gather up the children to take them to their bunks. His eyes return to Morgana's. "I have to go now. But I'll be back, I promise."_

 _He rises and wraps her into a hug, and she returns the embrace as he strokes her hair. He finally releases her, and beams at her once more. "Now, go have some fun with the other kids! And try not to make Arthur cry." He winks at her in jest. "Bye, Gana. The summer will be over before you know it, and you'll be back at home."_

 _She nods and puts on a brave smile for him. "Bye, Daddy." She turns and walks towards the group, without looking back over her shoulder. Gorlois watches until they are out of sight, then slowly returns to his car to make the drive back to London._

* * *

 _"I'm Sophia. I'll be taking care of your group this summer!" The petite, brown haired woman smiles cheerfully at the four children in front of her._

 _Morgana takes an instant dislike to her, maybe because of her already overbearing cheeriness. She narrows her eyes slightly at the camp leader, who has an attitude like she is going to befriend all of them by the end of the summer._

 _Right, not going to happen._

 _"Before we move on to any activities, we're going to get you settled into your cabins, alright?" She leads Morgana, Arthur, and the two others with them to a small ring of cabins, pointing out landmarks like the dining hall and the stables along the way. The cabins are in a central location, with a nice view of the lake in the distance._

 _Theirs are side by side, with a small picnic table set in between. Sophia hand them each keys, two for the boys' cabin and two for the girls', and they trek in with their bags. Once they've set them down and returned back to where she is waiting, she continues. "Dinner will be served at six o'clock tonight. Until then, unpack, get to know each other, and feel free to explore the main area of the camp! Enjoy yourselves!" She flashes them one more smile at them before taking her leave._

 _As their camp leader walks away, the four children turn to stare at each other. Morgana warily inspects them. Both seem about her and Arthur's age. The boy has rather large ears, a mop of unruly raven hair, and is tall and lanky. The girl has caramel coloured skin, curly dark hair, and a friendly face. She seems like she could be alright. The boy, on the other hand, seems petrified. Terrific, of all the people she could be stuck with, one is Arthur and the other looks like he'd be scared of his own shadow._

 _Arthur is the first to break the awkward silence. "Hi, I'm Arthur," he introduces himself, offering a hand out to the other young boy. "And this is my friend, Morgana."_

 _The other boy reaches out to return Arthur's handshake. "Merlin," he says, looking wide eyed at the curly haired girl beside him, who is the next to speak._

 _"I'm Guinevere, but you can call me Gwen. Merlin and I are school mates. It's a pleasure to meet you both, I'm sure we're going to have a wonderful summer!" She grins at them._

 _Morgana inwardly sighs in relief. At least one of their group mates seems normal. This is good. Maybe this summer has some potential to be alright after all. She returns the smile._

* * *

"Are you planning on stopping by after work tonight?" Gwen asks, as she and Merlin pull on their regular shoes and jackets. It's late, and all the customers have left, including the rude boor in Merlin's section who had the audacity to leave without tipping him. They've finished up all their side chores, the restaurant can close and they are free to leave.

"Do you think it's a good idea? I mean, I know it's been a long day for him, and it's late, and he probably wants to spend time with you more than anything..."

" _Merlin_." Gwen stands in front of him with her hands on her hips. "You are his best friend. Of course he needs you there." She releases a sad sigh. "You know it's been extra hard on him since Morgana left - another piece of his family has been ripped away from him. It would mean a lot to him if you came over, even if he'll never admit it."

Merlin gives her a small smile. "I know. I just wanted to double check, make sure I wasn't intruding on anything." He waggles his eyebrows at her. "After all, last year you two weren't engaged yet, and who knows what you'll get into-"

"Merlin!" She smacks him on the arm. "You are _such_ a brat." His grins widens as she gets flustered.

"It's part of my charm."

"Is it, now?"

"You know it." With a mock bow, he offers his arm to her. "Now, milady, shall I escort you home to your fiancé?"

She giggles and takes it. "Why thank you Merlin. You can be such a gentleman... _Sometimes_." Gwen snags a plastic bag off of the counter, which contains Arthur's 'unofficial' birthday cake.

Laughing, the two friends make their way out of the restaurant into the rain, back to Gwen and Arthur's house.


End file.
